Furnace Repair – How to Keep Your Furnace Working Properly All Winter

It’s Fall, and for many homeowners in the Northern US and Canada, that means it’s time to turn on the furnace. This is a moment of both anticipation and apprehension, because there’s always the possibility that the system will break down or not work properly, leaving you cold and miserable. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to keep this from happening.

A few simple maintenance tasks will make all the difference in keeping your heating system functioning correctly all winter. These tasks don’t take more than three hours, cost very little money, and require only basic hand tools. That’s pretty cheap insurance for a worry-free winter of warm and cozy heat.

Changing your filter is one of the most important and cost-effective steps you can take to keep your furnace working properly. A clogged filter is not only ineffective at providing warmth, but it can also damage your blower motor by overheating it.

If your blower fan is making rattling or screeching noises, it’s probably time to have it oiled. Taking the fan apart and applying two to three drops of lightweight machine oil around each of its bearings will make it run much more smoothly and efficiently.

If you notice your home isn’t getting as warm as it should be, it could be a sign that the heat exchanger in your furnace needs to be repaired or replaced. A cracked or worn out heat exchanger will cause the system to struggle, and this is likely to lead to more expensive breakdowns in the future.

Other signs that your furnace needs repair Furnace Repair or replacement include a cracked or warped flame sensor rod. This rod is responsible for detecting the pilot flame, and it can become damaged by soot, dirt or other debris over time. If the rod isn’t clean, safety features will trigger and shut down the unit.

Finally, if you notice a musty or moldy odor coming from your furnace, it’s a clear sign that the system needs a cleaning and inspection. This should be done by a professional to ensure that the problem is not more serious, like a gas leak.

Before you do any work on your furnace, be sure to disconnect it by turning off the power at the main electrical entrance panel. You should also remove the fuse or trip the circuit breaker that controls power to the system.

As a general rule, it’s good to have a new furnace installed if your old one is more than 15 years old. However, if your current system hasn’t experienced any major problems and can be made to work well again with some repair work, then sinking a couple hundred dollars into it as a stopgap solution could save you thousands in a new furnace purchase.